Biospheres

Biospheres are unique ecosystems recognized by UNESCO

Howe Sound

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Howe Sound is a UNESCO Biosphere up the Sea to Sky highway from Vancouver. I took the photo out the window of the Sea to Sky Gondola which is a popular stop along the way with hikes and a suspension bridge at just under 3,000 feet near Mt Garibaldi. The bay gets its color from the high mineral content in meltwater from high peaks, such as Whistler, and glaciers.

I also saw the ocean end of the bay when arriving by ferry from Vancouver Island, and deep underwater lie the fascinating, rare, Jurassic era glass sponges, a group of silica-skeleton filter-feeders that were thought extinct until 1987. Some species may live for thousands of years, and the glass sponge reefs north of Vancouver Island—Hecate Strait/Queen Charlotte Sound—are also under consideration for UNESCO status to protect them, possibly as an expansion to this biosphere.

I continued the highway up to Lillooet. The deep valley scenic drive ranks with any in the contiguous US, comparable to Glacier’s famed Going to the Sun Road, beautiful drives in Utah or along the 14ers in Colorado. I know folks love Stanley Park in Vancouver, but you should also get out of the city and drive up into the mountains, through scenic western towns like Pemberton and hike to some mountain lakes or waterfalls. This is an extremely beautiful area in North America not to miss.

Clayoquot Sound

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On the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, there’s a UNESCO biosphere near Tofino. I visited here in 2018 with my son, and we paddled a traditional canoe out to Meares Island to walk among the ancient trees and sacred native land. There are cedars, firs, hemlock, spruces and more, several varieties, and many saved from logging that devastated other areas. The sound supports a wide variety of sea life too, including seals and whales.

I didn’t have time to take another tour or retrace our steps entirely, but I was happy to be back in the area. Tofino is a very cute town that used to be a hippy hangout, has become more expensive, but still supports nature. Canada has a solid charging network including superchargers in Nanaimo and Port Alberni. Too many folks fly here and then zoom around in carbon burning boats. Even if you don’t have time or skills for a multi day paddling & remote camping adventure, the day tour we took with a First Nations guide was one of my most memorable travel experiences (even if the other folks in our boat slacked on the paddling).

Mount Arrowsmith

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I expected to cruise right on through Canadian border control as usual. Dream on. At first it was the same old song and dance, but then it was ‘walk this way’ for a secondary inspection. Crazy. Then I figured out what had made them draw the line. After all the stuffed RVs, they just found my itinerary unusual for a small EV. I felt sweet emotion when I realized that they were concerned about me. They looked up my blog. Remember when I was walking in the sand in the Yucatan without issues? Eventually, we were able to come together, and I was back in the saddle again.

Anyways, I headed for this UNESCO Biosphere on Vancouver Island. Due to the topography and large trees at places like Cathedral Grove at Cameron Lake, I wasn’t able to get the amazing photo I wanted of Mt Aerosmith reflected in the water. Then I stopped at Loon Lake above and managed to get a bit of the snow peaked, classic rock mountain that dominates the landscape albeit without a reflection. Oh well. The region is quite large and includes greatest hits Englishman River Falls, Top Bridge, Rathtrevor Beach, gardens and more. But with missing my ferry, bad traffic delays and livin’ on the edge—although I don’t want to miss a thing—I didn’t have time to do much hiking. Cryin’. I always plan to come back, and then I neglect to plan enough time to really enjoy this lovely part of Canada. At least I listened to Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits along the way, but you knew that, right?

Ría Celestún Biosphere

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This UN recognized biosphere in the northeast Yucatán is also a tentative world heritage site, and in the winter it has thousands of flamingos! A short drive from Mérida, I bought my ticket at the Parador Turístico and waited 5 minutes for four more tourists to join my boat, and we zoomed off to see the beautiful birds. After watching flocks of flamingos flying and feeding in the shallow estuary—ría—, we went off to see more birds. In the mangrove tunnel, I spotted the bare throated tiger heron below with his neck stretched up to look like a stick, but when we got close he realized his cover was blown.

We also walked a boardwalk to a freshwater spring-fed lagoon and saw a baby crocodile, lots of pelicans, great & snowy egrets, wood storks, and a roseate spoonbill. But for me, the surprise was seeing flamingos in flight. I’ve seen a few flamingos in zoos, but I’ve never seen so many gathered together honking, chattering, flapping, bowing and preening. Instead of looking silly or awkward, here their displays look natural and beautiful, especially flying in formation. One of my favorite stops in Mexico.

Sian Ka’an

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This UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere on the southeast coast of the Yucatán has exceptional species diversity in jungles, mangroves, shallow bays, reefs, islands and open water. On my day tour we saw many great birds including tiger heron, roseate spoonbill, osprey and frigate birds, crocodiles and green turtles, and dolphin and many tropical fish, of course. While I don’t believe I saw any first time species for me, I definitely saw a greater variety than I can remember seeing in one place before.

The reserve is huge, with a long low peninsula, a fishing village at the end of an extremely bumpy road, a surprisingly healthy looking ocean reef, and a huge salt lagoon with mangrove islands, shallow flats, and some freshwater springs bubbling up into the lagoon for manatees to enjoy. Even if you think you can get here, it’s worth it to join a tour with an expert guide, a van driver, and a flat boat captain. I particularly enjoyed chatting with my new friends from all over the world while standing waist deep in turquoise water and drinking a well-deserved Mexican cerveza.

All UN Sites in Manitoba and Saskatchewan

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These two Prairie Provinces have a world heritage site, a tentative WHS, and two biospheres (plus the Int’l Peace Garden). Far from featureless, the boreal forest, First Nations cuisine, huge flocks of birds, polar bears, and even the sight of giant combines harvesting at sunset, indelibly mark my memory. While the transcontinental highway is comfortable, I pushed my electric vehicle to its limit, driving hundreds of miles to remote locations even on unpaved roads, digging out of snow and charging at places few EVs ever use. But it’s worth it.

World Heritage Sites

Pimachiowin Aki WHS is a First Nation area east of Lake Winnipeg encompassing forests, rivers and lakes with exceptional wildlife.

Wanuskewin tentative WHS is a First Nation cultural interpretive center and preserve near Saskatoon.

Biospheres

Redberry Lake is an important migratory bird sanctuary for whooping cranes and many other birds.

Riding Mountain is a wildlife management and environmental cooperation zone centered on the eponymous national park.

Bonus: Churchill is the best place to see wild polar bears.

All UNESCO Sites in Quebec

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My grandfather used to tell us to travel to Canada before going to any other country, because it has both wonderful nature and culture. Growing up in New England with Canadian relatives, we perhaps took Canada a bit for granted, not crossing the 500 mile border into Quebec as often as we could. Now, after having been to 6 continents and ~50 countries, I take my grandfather’s words more to heart. Quebec is Canada’s largest province and has three world heritage sites and four biospheres. The official language is French, but folks went out of their way to translate for me.

World Heritage Sites

Anticosti is a large island deer hunting reserve with many rivers and important fossils. Take the ferry and an island tour to see the many sights and wildlife.

Miguasha is an important fossil site with a very good museum and a nice hiking trail through the woods along the coastal bluff.

Old Québec is magnificent! In the largest walled city north of Mexico, explore the museums, parks and French restaurants.

Biospheres

Charlevoix is a mountainous area on the St Lawrence Seaway with great hiking. Ski in winter or take a tour boat in summer.

Lac Saint-Pierre in the St Lawrence estuary is a birding paradise. Take a boardwalk over the wetlands out to a viewing platform on the water.

Manicouagan-Uapishka has a ring lake that can be seen from space, native culture and a variety of ecotones down to the coast.

Mont Saint-Hilaire is near Montreal and preserves old growth hardwood forest. Hike through the lovely woods near McGill University.

All UNESCO Sites in Ontario

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Ontario is Canada’s most populous and prosperous province, with over 1/3 of the population. Both the country’s capital, Ottawa, and its largest city, Toronto, are here. 1/2 the residents of Toronto were born abroad, making it one of the most multicultural cities in the world. Ontario borders Great Lakes Erie, Huron, Ontario, and Superior, plus Hudson Bay to the North.

Ontario has a World Heritage Site that is fascinating to explore. The Rideau Canal is the oldest continuously operating canal system in North America, and its quaint villages along the route connecting Lake Ontario to Ottawa are delightful, with treat shops, friendly restaurants and charming historic hotels.

Four UNESCO Biospheres protect the unique ecosystems defined by the Great Lakes ice age landscape.

  • Frontenac Arch is the geologic bridge to the Adirondacks that holds back Lake Ontario, best seen where the St Lawrence River cuts through the Thousand Islands area. Bitterns, Eagles, Heron, Loons and Osprey live here.
  • Georgian Bay, off Lake Huron, is almost as big as Lake Ontario, and it protects many rare birds, reptiles, butterflies and other species amidst First Nations land.
  • Long Point is on the north shore of Lake Erie, and it has birding, boating, hiking and more to enjoy.
  • Niagara Escarpment is a massive geologic formation that forms the northeast shore of Lake Huron, stretching from Buffalo NY on Lake Erie to Green Bay WI on Lake Michigan. Its forests and coastlines contain more species than any other Biosphere in Canada.

Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve

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Georgian Bay is almost as big as Lake Ontario, but it’s still just considered a bay of Lake Huron. The Niagara Escarpment separates the bay in the form of the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island. Above are the Recollet Falls on the French River at the north end of the biosphere. Most of the famous explorers of Canada passed this way: Brûlé who lived with the Huron as a teen around 1610, Champlain and Mackenzie, among others. Radisson and his brother-in-law may have been the most consequential, as they realized the economic potential of Ojibwa fur trading canoe routes. Unlike the licensed voyageurs, the pair were outlaw traders, known as coureur des bois, ‘runners of the woods’. When the French declined to support their venture, they turned to the English and formed the Hudson Bay Company.

The south end of the biosphere is at the Severn River, where there’s an impressive canal/ boat-railway system for transiting small craft between Lakes Huron and Ontario. Much of the biosphere belongs to the Anishinaabek people, who call it the Mnidoo-gamii, the ‘spirit of the lake’. The lakeshore is well protected, remote and home to a great many species. As ages ago, boat is still the best way to explore this ‘30,000 islands’ area. Still, I managed to spot two black bears just outside the park where I hiked to the falls above. Fortunately I didn’t see any of their rare local rattlesnakes. Northwest of Georgian Bay, on Manitoulin Island, I saw a bald eagle, six sand hill cranes, and a variety of smaller birds. Georgian Bay is a lovely area, and I’m glad it’s protected.

Here are my visits to all UN sites in Ontario.

Long Point Biosphere Reserve

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The Canadian side of Lake Erie is prettier. The spit of sand above goes 25 miles eastward into the lake, and around behind to the left are wetlands with many birds. I wasn’t really paying attention, but I saw doves, ducks, geese, grackle, gulls, a Harrier, a Great Blue Heron, sparrow, swallow, and several other species I couldn’t identify. I should have popped into the Bird Observatory, which is the oldest continuously operating one in North America, but the birders there looked much more serious than I. There are also wetland trails, campgrounds, unhealthy snack shacks, and many ‘cuts’ for small boats to runabout, go fishing and explore. The dunes are quite healthy, and there are a surprising number of different types of trees all mixed together. Unlike the US, Canada seems to do a better job of protecting, developing and promoting its Biospheres, so that regular people can learn and enjoy too.

Here are my visits to all UN sites in Ontario.